Road to Hell and Back
by iamemeraldfox
Summary: "Lucifer, what is going on?" she hissed, grabbing his shoulder to make him focus on her. "It appears, Detective, that Earth is under attack. New York, to be exact," he said, face pinched. "Attacked? By what? What are these things?" "That, my dear, is the question." An Avengers/Lucifer fusion, because I love Tony Stark and Lucifer both, and would really like to see them interact.
1. Chapter 1

They were making their way through the crowded street, afternoon sun shining into her eyes. They had just returned from a case, an easy one this time; a string of thefts she took on to forget the stress brought by Malcolm and her own suspicions. The thefts were beneath her as a detective, but it eased her mind to be doing something good, making a difference.

She noticed the sudden silence where there should be relentless chatter, so she turned around, looking for her self-proclaimed partner. Lucifer was nowhere to be found. She took a moment to roll her eyes, exasperated to the depths of her very soul. It was so typical of him, disappearing in the middle of a stroll, seeking mischief. She backtracked her path, being the better person and deciding to search for him, despite the possibility of not finding him.

She didn't have to walk long. There was a crowd of people, and she could hear outraged gasps and desperate cries. She figured she should be alarmed, but was instead filled with exasperation. Lucifer was the only person she knew that could inspire such a response in so many people at once. Well, the other was her mother.

She dove into the crowd head first, determined to save them from the insanity that was the self-proclaimed Devil.

"Lucifer?!" she called. "Lucifer, _what_ are you doing?"

He didn't answer. He _always_ answered, whether she liked it or not.

"Lucifer!" she tried again.

"Shush, Detective!"

A hand grabbed her out of nowhere and pulled her to the front of the crowd. It was her partner. He had a peculiar look on his face, one she had become quite familiar with during their time together. It was a look of unearthy focus, like a gaze of a raptor eyeing its prey.

Chloe followed his gaze and noticed that for a change, he wasn't the source of spectacle for the gathering people. Instead, it was a TV in a store window that caused the commotion. There was no sound, but the video playing was descriptive enough. It appeared to be a news channel, showing a city overrun by… creatures. She squinted her eyes, trying to get a better look. There were weird beings, some walking on the ground, others flying on carriage-like contraptions. It didn't seem real and she would've thought it a movie, except she kept herself appraised on all upcoming movies. The shots themselves were poor quality. The news reporter was also clearly distraught and was gesturing frantically on the screen.

A sudden close up made her take a half step back. It was abrupt, filling the screen with an image of a creature of grey skin and a body resembling a zombie, with something reptilian or insectoid about it. The view was quickly lost, as the cameraman retreated behind the wall of a fallen building. Then the view moved rapidly, creating a blur, zooming in on a flying... _whale skeleton? Turtle robot?_

A sudden explicit curse tore her gaze away from the TV and to her partner.

"Lucifer, _what_ is going on?" she hissed, grabbing his shoulder to make him focus on her.

"It appears, Detective, that Earth is under attack. New York, to be exact," he said, face pinched.

"Attacked? By what? What are these things?"

"That, my dear, is the question."

* * *

Two days later found her in Lucifer's club, nursing a strong drink and wishing she could be an irresponsible mother just this once and get gloriously drunk. Imagining Trixie's big sad eyes made her refrain, but it certainly didn't make the wish go away. The man next to her obviously didn't have the same reservation.

"An alien invasion," she stated, needing to throw out the words. They were the most outrageous words she had ever said, and she shot a movie and accused a cop working with the criminals.

"It would certainly appear so." Her partner raised an eyebrow at her.

It was all over the news, the disaster that struck New York, leaving the city with numerous victims and filling it with panic. It was the hottest topic in her department as well, and she could see first hand the impact it made.

"I just… Aliens? I'm a cop. I solve crimes. Murders of people by people. What does one do about murderous aliens?" She took another gulp of her drink.

"What I find more interesting is how they got here. You see, the Earth is protected. How _did_ they open the portal above New York? It should be impossible!"

Lucifer Morningstar always baffled her, but at times like these it hit her she didn't understand him at all. He thought he was The Devil, that she knew, but the act itself was perfect. As a former actor she could admit that. If he never told her he was the Devil, it would never crossed her mind to assign him such a role. He didn't really act as she thought an Evil Satan would. But his act was consistent, building up on itself, backed up by knowledge and facts he clearly internalised and could utter on command. The act never failed, he never _wasn't_ The Devil. And at times like these she almost believed him.

"So you think they are aliens? I thought you didn't believe in such things. Church isn't really pro-alien life, is it?" she tried carefully.

" _Church?!_ Church is made by men, with human beliefs and most ridiculous notions! Of course there are aliens out there. They just shouldn't be here! I will have to ask my brother, even if I hate doing that. Obviously this is quite serious."

She gave him a skeptical look. He didn't do serious often, and even when he did there was a flippancy to his words and actions that unnerved her.

He grimaced. "Well, obviously I wouldn't have cared, but I live among humans now. They can't just decide to come and kill people! I came here to take a vacation, relax and enjoy life. I can't do that if some alien zombies decide to ransack a whole city!"

"You are upset because you can't party. Because aliens came from the sky and killed people," she deadpanned. "Right."

"Well, not only that! I slept with one of the heroes that fought them! I was promised future sex!" He sounded genuinely upset.

"You had sex. With a superhero. Of course you did." She thought about a gorgeous red-headed woman on the news she saw that day, but took another look at the man beside her and changed her mind about assuming.

"Do I want to know which one?" she sighed.

"You most certainly do! No matter how immune to my charms you are, even you would want to watch that!" he said, puffing up like a peacock.

" _Watch that?_ Never mind. So, who are you concerned about?"

"Why, Tony Stark, of course! Go big, I say! Tony has quite the reputation, warranted I assure you. He is great in bed and knows how to enjoy the better things in life. Besides, he cheated death in Afghanistan, that makes him doubly interesting."

Chloe stared at him for a few moments, trying to wrap her head around the concept of Lucifer Morningstar and Tony Stark in one room. Together. Two such egos meeting, no wonder it was almost the end of the world.

"You slept with Tony Stark. How has that never made the news? Did you stay in touch?"

"I can be discreet! And no, we parted ways after three days. We simply couldn't go on! Human bodies have a limit, you know. Hell, _I_ have a limit. Besides, he didn't want to make a deal with me. Said he'll fix his own mess. Admirable, I say."

The Detective hung her head, feeling the headache forming from oversharing. Lucifer really was shameless. Some dark part of her wondered at those three days, purely from morbid fascination. Two rich lunatics, one a former Merchant of Death, the other a self proclaimed Lord of Hell. Well. Some thing are best left alone. And out of mind.

"Maybe I should call him. Yes, that would give me the first hand accounting! Hmmm."

Well, apparently she will have no such luck. She reached for the bottle to pour herself another drink.

* * *

It all grew so very complicated quickly after that. Lucifer was accused of murder, Malcolm went insane, and she faced the most horrible moments of her life when her daughter was kidnapped. It had been a mess, exhausting her physically and emotionally, days starting to blur together. It became more and more apparent that the only one she could rely on even a little was, surprisingly, Lucifer. No matter how you looked at it, she could always rely on Lucifer to be Lucifer, with his perversions and manipulations, passions and mysteries.

He might even be immortal, if only in his persistent character. An annoying mosquito you can never truly squish.

They were at her house, after all the commotion was over, after they were questioned at the station and they carted away Malcolm's body. After cleaning them both, rubbing off dust and terror under the spray, she finally managed to get Trixie to sleep. She could only hope exhaustion would keep the possible nightmares at bay.

Her partner was waiting for her in the kitchen, dressed in her robe, hair wet from the shower she heard him taking without her permission. He was nursing a glass of orange juice as if it was the finest Scotch, and for some reason she was overcome with a fit of giggles. It was so ridiculous! Ever since she met him, her life had been on a rollercoaster. Well, she never really had a calm life, and honestly she never even wanted it, but this really took the cake.

 _Chocolate cake._ The thought brought her back to Trixie and all the horrible mirth left her. Looking up, she saw Lucifer gazing at her with his laser-like focus again. It made her feel exposed, as if all her thoughts were shown on her face for him to read. He tilted his head to the side, signaling confusion she now recognised. Ah. He didn't read her after all. He never really seemed to _get_ her love for her daughter. He observed it, knew it, but she could see he never _understood_ it. Chloe remembered him saying he never came in contact with many children. Additionally, softer emotions often went right over his head. For him they were a learned behaviour, rather than something one felt.

"A glass of orange juice for your thoughts?" he inquired, thankfully quietly. Apparently that clue he got.

"I'm just worried for her, is all. My job should never have touched her, at least not beyond the unavoidable," she sighed.

"Ah. Detective Douche. Your parting did affect her, correct?"

"Yeah. Oh god, Dan. I don't want to even think about that can of worms. He will go to prison. Damn." She covered her face with her hands, feeling truly tired and out of her depth.

"What do I do, Lucifer? Trixie was kidnapped, she heard her mother get shot at, her father is a dirty cop who will be going to prison. If people at her school find out it will be a disaster…"

"Chloe," interrupted Lucifer. "Look at me."

She lifted her head, unable to resist. Because his tone registered with her, and it was the tone that made her so mad at him most of the time, but also appreciative for all he had done. Because it was a tone of a Lucifer with a solution to a problem, and even if his solutions usually gave her headaches, they were always very effective.

"Tell me, Chloe," he said, looking into her eyes, "What it is you want _right now_? What do you want _most_ in the world?"

And it was easy to answer that, because she knew what he wanted to hear when he asked that. He wanted her honest desire, without her fears and reservations. Just, what did she want?

"I want to go away. I want to take Trixie and go far away, somewhere we will be safe and without worry. Somewhere to gather strength."

It poured out of her, from the bottom of her soul, and she knew she wouldn't be judged by him, he would never think her a coward.

"A vacation!" he cried, and she shushed him for being too loud.

"I can arrange that, Detective, no worries! How do you feel about New York?"

He really was unpredictable.

"New York? What is in New York?" she asked.

"Well, remember that alien invasion…" he started.

"Hold it right there. I want my little girl safe. I will not let her near aliens." she said firmly, willing him to understand the concept, to comprehend it in his weird Devil head.

"Oh calm down. The aliens are long gone. I, on the other hand, still haven't managed to contact Tony and I am infinitely curious about that little happenstance. So, how about it? We go to New York, have a little vacation, stay in the most expensive hotels, meet Tony Stark, gain Trixie bragging rights and get me my information. Everybody wins!" He looked positively _gleeful_ at the very thought.

"And how will you get to Stark if you haven't managed to contact him thus far?" she asked, already fearing the answer.

"I will go to his tower and request a meeting. If his secretaries refuse, which, as you know, is unlikely, I will start stripping in front of the nearest camera until I get his attention. He couldn't possibly forget that body!"

She could do nothing but stare. But then, knowing him, he would get what he wanted, and that in itself was oddly reassuring.

"All right," she sighed. "Fine. But there will be rules and lines you won't cross, such as any possible indecency in front of Trixie. There will be others, but I'm too tired to think. And I want at no point to learn anything about your… thing with Tony Stark. Got that?"

"Your loss, Chloe," smirked Lucifer, all smug and cocky.

She stood up.

"Well, I'm going to bed. You? You can stay or go or whatever. Just... don't bother me for the next twelve hours, and don't you dare come anywhere near my room."

His smirk fell a little at that and he pouted. She sometimes knew him too well. She turned around and went to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Chloe woke up feeling happy and relaxed. She turned underneath her duvet, hoping to stay a little longer in a comfortable cocoon of her own bed. The shifting, however, made a sharp pain explode in her shoulder. She frowned. What _was_ she doing the day before?

Right. Malcolm.

She reached for her phone to check the time, but it wasn't there. She sat up and looked out of the window, assessing the hour according to the brightness outside. It looked near noon.

Trixie. She had to be awake already, why hadn't she come to wake her up? Chloe took a short time in dressing herself and made her way downstairs.

"Mommy!" squealed Trixie, running into her arms.

"Ah, Detective, right on time," said Lucifer. He looked right at home in her kitchen, wearing an apron and cooking what appeared to be breakfast. Well, whatever it was, it contained a lot of chocolate. No wonder her daughter was grinning from ear to ear.

"We're having chocolate pancakes with chocolate sauce, and cocoa on top. You should let Lucifer cook more often, mommy," announced Trixie.

Chloe raised an eyebrow at the man, silently judging his blatant bribing. They both knew her little girl would do anything for chocolate.

"Are we really going to see Tony Stark? Like, The Tony Stark? Are we, mommy? That would be so cool!" She could see the stars in her daughter's eyes, all awed and hopeful.

"Maybe, Trixie. There's a lot to do before that, and I would have to ask my boss for some free time first," she tried to explain.

"No need, Detective, I already did. I called your boss first thing in the morning, we have as much time off as we desire. Two weeks at least!" he boasted. Could he for once ask her before arranging her life for her?

"Right. When are we going, then?" she asked, figuring it was hopeless to argue and upset Trixie.

"In the morning, seven o'clock. Bring your nicest dresses, make sure they show some leg, you'll have to fit in at the hotel I booked us in."

She gave him a stink eye.

"I'll wear what I want," she said firmly.

"Well, as you wish, of course, but it's such a shame to hide your nice legs," he grinned.

At the table, she saw Trixie nodding, giggling around a mouthful of chocolate. She gave up. It was like they were corrupting each other, conspiring together.

Sighing, she joined them at breakfast, hoping a sugar fix would make her feel better.

* * *

Lucifer went home shortly after the meal, waiting just long enough to give her instructions, which were 'Pack' and 'Wait for me to pick you up tomorrow'. Apparently he spent the night, sleeping on her couch. Why he did that, she had no idea.

After distracting Trixie with her favourite cartoon, she called her boss. She wanted to make sure it was okay for her to leave, and also check on Dan. She knew she had to talk to him before she left, rather than let the situation fester and poison all that was left of their relationship. Her boss confirmed her vacation, all dreamy when talking about Lucifer, and told her Dan was locked in one of the department cells. She could come visit him anytime she wanted.

After the call disconnected, she spent some time staring at the phone, debating within herself what she wanted to do. She knew she should visit him, tell him all that had happened after his arrest, but it was hard. Some part of her blamed him for Trixie's kidnapping. If he confessed quicker, if he only told her what Malcolm was doing, none of it might have happened. Trixie looked happy enough right now, but Chloe knew she was good at hiding things, and might not express being scared or sad. Like mother, like daughter.

To buy herself time, she called Trixie's school, excusing her from class for two weeks, citing vacation to save herself from having to tell the school what really happened.

When she returned to the living room, she found Trixie napping on the couch, snuggling one of the pillows. She couldn't leave her at home alone, she might get frightened if she woke up alone.

It took some arranging, but she managed to get a sleeping Trixie in the car. Chloe made her way to LAPD station. Once there, she led sleepy Trixie to one of the kid friendly officers, with instructions to get her something to eat and never take her eyes off her. Then she made her way to the holding cells.

Dan was laying on the bench, looking miserable. With a nod she sent the cop on duty to his desk, then approached him.

"Dan?" she started.

"Chloe?" He leapt up. "Chloe, are you alright? I heard something about what happened. I'm so sorry. I should have… I should have trusted you from the start. I…"

"It's okay, Dan. I know you only wanted to protect me. But… I can't go on like this, Dan."

She sighed.

"I need to know I can count on you. Always, not just when you feel guilty enough. I know it was dangerous. But, it was even riskier keeping me out of the loop. Misinformation kills, you know that. Every cop knows that." She closed her eyes, willing to get the thought of her daughter's brush with death out of her head. Hell, if Chloe died back there, where would Trixie end up? With Dan in prison, the only person to do that would be her mother. An always absent Penelope Decker.

"Chloe, please…" said Dan.

"I'm leaving." At his frightened look she quickened to reassure him. "On a vacation. We're going to New York. Two weeks. I… I need to go, Trixie needs to go, she needs to feel safe again."

"I get it. I'm sorry it came to this. Damn it… When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow morning," she said. "Lucifer got plane tickets…"

"Lucifer?!" interrupted Dan. "Of course it's Lucifer."

She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Don't you dare start. Don't you _dare_! Lucifer has his quirks, but I can _count on him to be there._ "

They just breathed for a while, watching each other. Chloe started to feel the hopelessness of the situation.

"How long?" He blinked at her, confused. "How long will you be in jail? Any word from your lawyer?"

"Ah, not yet. There were many things at play, it might diminish my sentence," said Dan.

"Right." She nodded. "I… I have to go. Trixie might want me. Just, keep me posted, alright? Please. For our peace of mind."

"I will. I promise. I won't let you down, ever again," he vowed.

Chloe managed a half smile, then turned and left.

* * *

Early the next day found Chloe and Trixie waiting on the front porch, packed and ready to go. Only a few moments later, Lucifer's car parked before them. He jumped out, grinning ear to ear.

"In you go, chop chop! We have a plane to catch."

Trixie gave him an unimpressed look, still cranky from being woken up so early.

The drive to the airport was fast and energetic, as Lucifer's driving was wont to be. There, they met with Maze, who would apparently be tagging along. That seemed to cheer her daughter up, though, so she didn't comment.

They were, of course, flying first class. Chloe slept most of the flight, saving herself from witnessing an outrageous amount of flirting between Lucifer and the flight attendants. She was woken up by something nudging her in the ribs.

"Detective, look," said Lucifer, pointing through the window.

She stood up and went to see.

"Oh my God!" The city of Manhattan was a ruin. It lacked the orderly criss-cross pattern made by roads. There were fallen buildings everywhere, and it looked… it looked like a war-zone.

"God knows all about it, trust me. For some reason, all this happened despite His protections and shields. It must _vex_ Him." He didn't look very happy when he said that, however, at odds with his usual dickish self. Apparently there were limits to his displeasure with God.

The booking into the hotel was devilishly smooth. Lucifer booked the whole upper floor and thus giving them an astounding view. They couldn't see the wreckage from here. Lucifer obviously had enough sense to make them stay in the safer area.

Trixie was over the moon with excitement, running from one room to another, squealing gleefully. After she found a booklet on local sites, it was unanimously decided that they would go to the Zoo.

"There are four zoos, mommy! _Four_! And an aquarium, with lots and lots of fish," gushed Trixie. "I want to go to _all_ of them. Can I?"

"Of course you can, Maze will take you. She loves zoos, don't you Maze," said Lucifer, shameless enabler.

What followed was one of the most absurd experiences Chloe ever had. Lucifer somehow arranged them a private tour, petting and feeding the animals included. Trixie obviously loved every second of it, especially the monkeys. Maze appeared to be enjoying herself as well, lovingly describing all of the deadly animals and their killing techniques. Lucifer liked the snakes.

"The origin of the first sin of mankind. The first time a human saw something she desired, and took it. The snake understood that, selfish little creature," he said, eyes gleaming.

Right.

* * *

When the day came to an end and the humans went to sleep, Lucifer went on a hunt. While streets were brightly lit by lights, corners and back alleys were ruled by shadows. The Devil didn't really care whether it was day or night, sin was eternal among humans. But night had its charm, and always made the horrors a little sharper. It gave a nice thrill, like spice added to a satisfying meal.

Lucifer drove along the streets of Manhattan, assessing, eyes gleaming. He felt it, like static over his skin. The brutal caress of outer Universe that came in contact with Earth in ways it never should. Up and down he drove, trying to establish how far the influence stretched.

At last, he parked and made his way into one of the rare intact buildings. He made his way to the top, and into a club there. It had a spectacular view, right on the Stark Tower. The sky above the Tower was the nexus of alien power, fading but still present. It would be gone in a few weeks, but Lucifer didn't envy anyone having to live right under it until it did. Who knew what consequences it would have on the easier swayed mortal minds.

The Devil sipped his drink, gazing at the large letter A, the only one still remaining on the Tower walls. He had to go there, had to see it for himself. He had to feel it. Because it might be his Mother's fault all this happened.

It was a horrifying thought, that She might be wrathful enough to harm the Earth in such a debilitating way. It frightened him to have the job of hunting Her down. She was his parent, his Maker, and Her power was beyond compare. Only Father was ever able to defeat and imprison Her.

Tomorrow he would go see Tony, and get his help. He was intrigued by the man, by his quicksilver brilliance and inviting body. Like Chloe, he would be a worthy ally.

A mischievous grin stretched over his face. He couldn't wait!


	3. Chapter 3

Apparently the logistics were going to be more complicated than he thought. Children, _really_. They supposedly need constant supervision, and Chloe couldn't go anywhere without her daughter. So troublesome. He wanted to go see Tony _today_ , and he planned to take the Detective with him; she had such a novel way of looking at the world. She was relatable, a good cop to his bad cop.

 _Useful_.

She shamelessly used him as well, of course, and she was gloriously good at it. He knew she didn't truly believe in his identity and abilities, but she was never shy using them to get results. Such _drive_ was commendable.

"Oh bloody Hell! Let Maze take her! Your child wanted to go visit the other zoos, didn't she? Let her, she'll have fun," Lucifer said, experrated.

At once he became the target of two outraged pairs of eyes.

"I am _not_ a baby sitter," hissed Maze.

"You weren't, but you are now," demanded Lucifer. "You _like_ Trixie, you said so yourself. Consider it a girls bonding time."

"Lucifer, you can't just order someone to look after my daughter," Chloe said, glaring at him.

Such bother.

"What do you say, Trixie? Would you like to go to the Zoo with Maze? Maybe they have even more monkeys in one of the other ones. Go on, ask her if she would come with you," he nudged.

The child jumped on the bait, as expected.

"Can we, Maze? Please, pretty please?" she pleaded with her big dark eyes. It was surprisingly effective, very good technique.

It was satisfying to watch both women cave. Mission accomplished.

"Well, there you go. Excellent plan. Here, take this." He reached to take a wad of cash and offered it to Trixie.

"There you go. Spend it on anything your heart desires."

From the corner of his eye he could see Chloe put her face in her hand. Double win.

* * *

"Why are you so interested in the alien invasion, anyway?" Chloe broke the silence.

They were driving to the Stark tower in a car Lucifer rented. It was a glorious red colour, in fond memory of the three days spent with Tony.

"I mean, I get that you are curious. Hell, I am too. But… it's more than that, isn't it? Something else is going on."

So perceptive, his Detective.

"I believe I told you already. There is a shield encompassing the whole of Earth. A Shield of God, so to speak. It should ward against all intrusions from outer space, especially malicious ones. Somehow that shield was breached and _unfortunately_ I became the one with the task to find out how. Anyone or anything capable of such a feat is going to be dangerous to face. But of course, who would miss the Devil?"

He was shaken from his black mood by a hand on his arm.

"I would miss you. So don't you dare do anything dangerous, at least not without me there."

He blinked at her, astonished. She almost died and already she's Inserting herself into another risky situation?

"You saved me, Lucifer. Allow me the opportunity to return the favour. I'll watch your back," she said, gaze solemn.

He swallowed, uncomfortable.

"Oh all right, if you insist," he said, dismissing her attempt for heart-to-heart. "Your inquisitive side wants to know more about this... unpreceded situation, too. Admit it!"

She just smiled at him, all indulgent.

 _Blasted woman._

They came to the Tower a few minutes later. It took a few charming words to get them a parking place in the Towers car garage, even if it was employees only. Evidently it suffered some damage that lessened the parking space within it.

The lobby was crowded as well, full of hurrying construction workers. In the midst of it all was an older, frazzled woman, barking orders. Since she appeared to be in charge, Lucifer thought she might have enough authority to grant him passage to the higher levels.

"Excuse me," he started, smiling charmingly. "May I disturb you from your job for a moment? I would like to see Tony Stark, if you would tell him Lucifer Morningstar is looking for him?"

"Sugar, do I look like a secretary to you?" she sneered, unimpressed.

Well, she seemed to be a tougher nut to crack. But then again, Lucifer liked challenge.

"No of course not! But I really do need to see him. I thought I should ask the most competent person here, which seemed to be you. I would take just a moment of your time…"

"I'm overseeing the workers, so they don't leave an even bigger mess then they've come to fix. If you want , find a secretary. I'm a cleaning lady. I keep places clean and tidy so people like you can have 'important meetings' in nice offices without the danger of chewing gum getting stuck anywhere unpleasant. Got that, cupcake?"

What was it with women? More and more of them were becoming immune to his charms. It was a travesty.

He heard a sound directly behind him. It was Chloe, snickering behind her hand. Supposedly she found his predicament amusing.

He huffed.

And started to open the buttons of his shirt. Meanwhile, he kept an eye out for any potential camera looking his way.

"Good Lord!" he heard the woman say. It sounded more outraged than reverent, and together with the God reference it caused him to blanch. What _is_ it with women these days?

"Lucifer, don't you dare. You are not getting naked in the Tony Stark's lobby," exclaimed Chloe.

It was a bit late for that. He passed her the shirt and started on his trousers.

" _Lucifer_!"

His actions made them a target of the tower's security. Two men and a woman made their way to them, faces stern and muscles flexing. Very nice muscles at that. Maybe he should take his clothes off in public spaces more often?

"Sir, please remove yourself from the premises," said the one with the nicest biceps. Perhaps this was going just a little bit out of control.

"I'm so sorry about him. Lucifer, stop stripping! Sorry, sir. We just want to see Tony Stark. I tried to get in contact with him, I'm a detective. I have some questions about the invasion. Mr. Stark knows my partner, Lucifer Morningstar. If you could just give him a call?"

How devious, his Detective.

Nice Biceps frowned at them for a few moments, then turned away to talk to his headset.

"Mr. Stark will see you," he stated when he was done. "Please come with me."

* * *

They were ushered to what must have been a private elevator. Luckily Chloe managed to contain the insanity that was Lucifer and they weren't booted out the front door. It was amazing what sorts of skills you acquired when your partner was a troublesome Devil.

The elevator took them up without escort. It was quick and efficient, as was everything in the Tower.

And then they were at the top and stepped out into a luxurious penthouse with a spectacular view. Despite its showy nature, Chloe could see the damage it suffered in the attack. A dent here, an obvious lack of furniture there. There must have been some kind of fight going on right here, in this very room.

"Luci!" she heard from behind her. She turned just in time to see Tony Stark come around the corner, all giddy and smiling.

"I almost couldn't believe it was you, you said you were going to Los Angeles the last time we saw each other. But I couldn't possibly forget that body! A sight for sore eyes."

And Lucifer was still shirtless. Why was he shirtless? Chloe watched on, speechless, at a happy reunion.

"Tony," purred Lucifer, a wicked smile on his face.

They came together like… like _long lost lovers_ , hugging with a lot more groping then was appropriate. Stark was _grinning_ when they separated, all glazed eyed and dopey. Lucifer, she was horrified to see, wasn't far behind.

Hoping to gain their attention and stop this madness, she loudly cleared her throat.

"Oh, another beautiful person in my Tower. Terribly sorry, happy reunions, you know how it is. And who might you be?" said Tony, extracting himself from the embrace and sauntering towards her.

"Chloe Decker, I came with Lucifer," she managed.

"Not surprising, Luci always had good taste. Girlfriend?"

"Partner," she corrected. _Luci_? He called Lucifer _Luci_?

At Stark's leer she added, "I'm a detective. He's my partner from work. That's _all_."

Stark did a double take, then turned to Lucifer.

"That's all? Is she blind?"

"I asked myself the same question, Tony. She appears to be immune to my charms. It's quite sad, poor woman. She doesn't know what she's missing," said Lucifer, exaggerating his disappointment. She could see it in his eyes, he was enjoying this.

"I'll say! You are missing _a lot_. Trust me," said Stark solemnly.

Now there were _two of them_ , egging each other on. Damn her life.

Stark seemed to see something on her face that made him change the subject. Either his instinct to poke at things until they go Boom, or reveal their secrets was a tiny bit smaller than Lucifer's, which she doubted, or someone trained him. He _was_ rumored to be in a relationship, it might be that. Either way, she was grateful.

"Drink, anyone?" he asked. "Still drink scotch, Luci?"

"I _love_ scotch," purred Lucifer, all flirty again.

She watched a little helplessly as they crowded the bar and Stark started opening the bottles. Somehow they decided to have a taste test, trying this and that brand and vintage, both moaning at each taste. It was scotch sex, there was no other way to describe it.

Somewhere along the way, she got a glass too. She was a bit stunned. Lucifer's attention was almost never so completely engaged as it was right then. If she wasn't there, they would probably be having sex, already. If they waited a bit longer, they might have it regardless.

"How about a toast, Tony? To happy reunions. But in memory to our last meeting, I'd like to lick this toast off your skin. Your lower back should do nicely," said Lucifer.

Right.

Stark swayed just a little in his direction, before clearing his throat and taking a step back.

"Oh, I'd love to, you have no idea. But... Pepper. I'm in a relationship, with Pepper." He sounded apologetic, but firm.

"Oh. Well then. A shame, but what can you do." There were a few tense seconds of staring at each other. "Well. Just a normal boring toast then. And lick it off _her_ back, later. There should be _some_ licking to be done."

Stark's face cleared again.

"Done. Any bottle you recommend for that?"

And they went right back to flirting, only with a foot greater distance between them.

* * *

Lucifer truly was a sight for sore eyes. Those three days were still fresh in his memory, filled with glorious sex and laughter and full of indulgence. It had been soon after Afghanistan, after Obie ripped the arc reactor from his chest. He tried to go clubbing, to find a woman to warm his bed, make him feel human again. He hadn't managed it, not the first time, nor the second. Too many insecurities about his scarred body, too much fear of death.

Then he met Lucifer, and for once _he_ was the conquest. Lucifer wanted him and he reeled him in, smothered him in his presence. But it was plainly evident that his only goal was getting laid. He didn't care Tony was famous, rich, Iron Man. Lucifer was interested in the Playboy Stark and he used his not-inconsiderable charms to get him.

The sex had been amazing. Liberating. There was no judgement, no expectations except to be shown a good time. _For three days._

And now here he was, exactly the same, drinking scotch.

Lucifer's partner was on the other side of the bar, wearing a Pepper expression. It was something between longsuffering, indulgent, and experated.

Speaking of Pepper...

He could hear the sound of her heels as she came closer. He went to meet her right before she rounded the corner.

"Pepper! Let me introduce you to Lucifer Morningstar and his detective friend. Luci, Partner, this is my better half and CEO, Pepper Potts."

He could see the confusion on her face, so he explained.

"Do you remember, about two, three years ago? When I brought someone home for three days, and I told you later it was the best sex I've ever had? That was Lucifer. He was in town and came say hello."

"Nice to meet you, ," greeted Pepper. She was amazing, not even batting an eye at the introduction to his ex. _Ex_? Get a grip, Tony, it was three days of mind-blowing pleasure, not marriage!

"And I love you, really, but that still stands. About the best sex, I mean. So, if you ever want, (and no pressure), if you ever want to try a threesome, I nominate Lucifer. Trust me," he continued, because he had no brain to mouth filter.

"Tony!" she admonished. "Sorry, Mr. Morningstar, Tony has no…"

"Oh no, I agree with Tony wholeheartedly! Anytime you want a threesome, don't hesitate to give me a call." And now Tony was imagining it, these two amazing people, in his bed, together. Yup, that's a boner. And both Lucifer and Pepper noticed. Oops!

Pepper called his name to get his attention.

"You have a meeting, Tony. In an hour. We need to be there, you really can't miss this one." She turned to Lucifer.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Morningstar. I hope you can continue this some other time."

"Ah, yes, I hope so too. I actually came to New York to investigate the alien invasion. I remembered I could simply ask Tony, since he was in the heart of it. And seeing him certainly wasn't a hardship."

"Sorry, but most of information about the invasion is classified, and for a reason. Tony _can't_ talk about it," explained Pepper. Which would be true, if Tony gave a damn about what SHEILD wanted. He flew a nuke into a portal because of them, they have no leg to stand on.

"I have some information that might interest him as well. We could swap, that would be fair, wouldn't it?" Lucifer looked at him, asking for confirmation.

That made up his mind. Information about the extraterrestrial event was scarce, much too scarce for his liking. He worked best with hard facts and the whole thing with Loki was a mess of contradictions and hidden meanings. Even when all was over, they still didn't get all the answers. Tony knew it was more to it than an alien God with a grudge. That army must have come from somewhere, that was obvious. And he had learned a lot about armies and terrorists in the last years. You cut off one head and another takes its place. Iron Man would rather _not_ deal with aliens again a few years down the road, thank you.

"I totally agree! Let's make a party out of it. We should meet after this boring meeting is over." He went to the work table by the wall, rummaged around in one of the drawers, and with _Aha!_ brought out a Starkphone.

"JARVIS, program this to be Lucifer's phone, will you? With my number."

"Done, sir," announced JARVIS after a few moments.

"You are a treasure, J," quipped Tony.

"For you, always, sir."

The inventor grinned.

"Here you go." He gave the phone to Lucifer. "Call me whenever you have the time. You owe me a drink."

Lucifer and Partner (he'll never _not_ call her that) left soon after. Tony was a little regretful, because he really hoped to spend more time in his company, and learn more about that Detective of his. There must be a hilarious story behind _that_ partnership.

He couldn't help but hope Lucifer would call.

"You better console me," he said teasingly to Pepper. "The second most attractive man on Earth just walked out of my door. I'm devastated. Crushed! You have to lift my spirits. Help me, Pepper!" He pretended to faint, enjoying her laugh.

He felt light. Better than he felt in months.

"We still have time until the meeting, right? We can be a little late. Keep it authentic."

Pepper glared at him, but didn't protest when he started kissing her shoulder.

What a great day.


End file.
